NZ264742A - Fishing rod support; wearable apron with socket for rod handle - Google Patents

Description

264742 Patents Form #5 NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 COMPT.KTE SPF.r.IFir.ATTON TITLE: Fishing Rod Support APPLICATION#: 264742 FILING DATE: 20 October 1994 NZ MTiNT OFF ICC •PT.

We,: Equaliser Tackle Limited Address: 217 Great South Road, Auckland, New Zealand Nationality: New Zealand hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: .JWP FEE CODE - 1050 264742 FISfflNG ROD SUPPORT FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the field of fishing equipment, more particularly to equipment for stand-up game fishing, and in particular to wearable fishing rod supports.

BACKGROUND Traditionally, in big game fishing with rod and line, during playing of a hooked fish, the angler sits in a chair affixed to the fishing boat.

Various sorts of harness have been used to transmit forces from the fishing rod to the angler and/or to the chair. With the largest of game fish the forces involved are so great that this technique is still appropriate. In this way the angler is not subject to , unacceptably high forces for the time necessary to play the fish.

However, in recent times techniques known as "stand-up" game fishing have been evolved in which the chair is dispensed with for all but very large game fish. In these techniques, the angler wears a gimbal belt in the form of a generally flat rigid plate hanging across the upper thighs from an attached harness.

Usually, in anticipation of a fish being hooked, the gimbal belt and harness are worn all the time. This can be uncomfortable to the wearer and can cause unwanted knocks and damage to parts of the boat and other personnel.

The butt end of the rod is formed with a gimbal nock or transverse groove which, when a fish is hooked, the angler engages on a transverse pin rigidly fastened to or near the front face of the plate. This provides a pivot point for the butt end of the rod and prevents the rod being rotated about its longitudinal axis. Thus, some of the rod forces are transmitted direct to the angler's thighs. This makes it possible for the angler to fish 35 in a standing position, which in turn enables him to move round the boat as the fish changes position. The stand-up technique is generally felt to provide more enjoyable 9 September 1995/8069N2CS.995/BS/ms 264742 and sporting fishing.

In addition to the disadvantages of having to wear the gimbal belt continuously, the 5 plate is not well located transversely on the angler's thighs. Thus in the heat of the moment, it has been known for the plate to slip sideways and the gimbal nock can jump free of the transverse pin.

OBJECT It is an object of this invention to provide an improved wearable fishing rod support for stand-up game fishing, or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a fishing rod support including a substantially rigid apron dimensioned and adapted to traverse and bear upon the front of an angler's thighs, means to attach the apron to the angler and a pivot point 20 on the apron to receive the butt end of a fishing rod, the pivot point being located behind those faces of the apron which are to bear on the front of the angler's thighs, and so that the pivot point will be positioned, in use, between the thighs.

Preferably the pivot point is located at the bottom of a recess extending rearwardly from 25 the front of the apron.

Advantageously the recess converges from the front of the apron towards the pivot point.

Conveniently the recess converges downwardly towards the pivot point.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a fishing rod support including a substantially rigid apron dimensioned and adapted to traverse and bear upon the front of an angler's thighs, means to attach the apron to the angler, a pivot 35 point on the apron to receive the butt end of the fishing rod, and a rearward projection of the apron adapted, in use, to project between the thighs of an angler. 9 September 1995/8069N2CS.995/BS/ms 264742 Conveniently the projection comprises the rear face of a recess extending rearwardly from the front of the apron.

Preferably the projection is shaped to conform to and fit against and between the front and inner faces of the thighs of the angler.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a fishing rod support including a substantially rigid apron dimensioned and adapted to traverse and bear upon 10 the front of an angler's thighs, means to attach the apron to the angler and a pivot point on the apron to receive the butt end of a fishing rod, the means to attach the apron including a harness to be worn by the angler and rapid attachment means of the apron to the harness, whereby the angle can wear the harness while fishing and quickly attach the apron thereto when a fish becomes hooked.

Preferably the apron includes or is formed with a pair of hook means, each of which can be hooked into one of a pair of loops spaced apart on the front of the harness.

Conveniently the hook means includes a pair of transverse arms extending in opposite 20 directions, one at or adjacent each side of the apron. The arms may point outwardly such as from the upper outer corners of the apron.

DRAWINGS One embodiment of the invention is described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an angler using a fishing rod support according to the 30 invention, Figure 2 is a front view of the angler shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a front view of the fishing rod support shown in Figure 2, Figure 4 is a rear view of Figure 1, 9 S«pt«nb«r 1995/8069NZCS.99S/t> /M 264742 Figure 5 is a view of part of the fishing rod support shown in Figure 3, Figure 6 is a rear view of Figure 5, Figure 7 is a side view of the part shown in Figure 5, Figure 8 is a a section along the line Vin - VEH in Figure 6, Figure 9 is a top view of the part shown in Figure 5, Figure 10 is a front perspective view of an alternative to the part shown in Figure 5, Figure 11 is a rear perspective view of the part shown in Figure 6, Figure 12 is an alternative to Figure 1, and Figure 13 shows the "fishing triangle" achieved with a prior art gimbal belt compared with a gimbal belt of this invention.

In Figure 1 an angler 20 is standing in a typical stance for fishing while using a fishing rod support according to the invention. One arm 21 is extended substantially horizontally to grasp a fishing rod 15 and the other arm 22 is used to operate a fishing reel 17 attached in the usual way to the rod 15. The butt end of the rod 15 is located 25 and supported by a wearable gimbal belt 23.

The gimbal belt 23 includes an apron 10 formed with an engaging recess 11 and locating hooks 12.

The apron 10 is of one piece, substantially rigid construction. Polycarbonate has been 30 found to be a suitable material, but the invention may be constructed of nylon, fiberglass or any other suitable material.

The locating hooks 12 extend outwardly from the top of the apron 10, and are of a size to enable them to be secured within loops 16 of a harness 13. The harness 13 is 35 preferably of polyester and includes a waist belt 18 to which the loops 16 are attached. The length of the loops 16 are adjustable by buckles 19. 9 September 1995/8069N2CS.995/BS/ro* 264742 The engaging recess 11 extends rearwards from the centre of the apron 10.

The engaging recess 11 converges downwardly from the front bottom of the apron 10. As shown in Figure 11 the rear of the apron 10 is of a smooth near-parabolic shape on either side of the recess 11.

Fastened across the recess 11 are one or more transverse pins 14.

In use, while waiting for a fish to strike, the angler wears the harness 13 only. On a strike being detected, the angler engages the hooks 12 into the loops 16 on the harness 13 and stands with the apron 10 hanging down and bearing on the front of the angler's thighs. When fighting a fish, the angler normally stands with knees bent. The recess 11 15 is positioned between the thighs, and the shape of the underside of the apron 10 follows the contours of the inner thigh muscles, thus spreading the load over a greater body area than normal gimbal belts. The near parabolic shape allows it to fit a range of leg sizes. The transverse groove or nock in the butt end of a fishing rod 15 is then engaged on the transverse pin 14. The fit of the apron 1!. on the thighs and the rearward position of the 20 recess between them inhibits lateral movement of the rod 15 which is a major problem with most other gimbal belts, when in rough seas or for an inexperienced angler who is trying to lift the rod 15 and then wind the reel 17 to retrieve line.

The low and rearward position of the pin 14 means that the pivot of the rod 15 is 25 positioned lower. Thus, the angler can exert more force on the rod tip, using less effort than if using other known gimbal belts.

In this mode of stand-up fishing, in which the rod support according to the invention is used, for a given length and stiffness distribution of the rod 15, the rod 15 will be used 30 at a lower location relative to the angler 20. Thus the tension force in the line from the rod tip to the fish will produce a smaller forward-tilting moment on the angler 20 about the pivot of his feet on the fishing boat deck. This reduced moment can be balanced by the weight of the angler 20 with less backward lean of the angler, and thus with less stress and discomfort and greater stability.

Preferably for optimum benefit in using the fishing rod 15 support, a rod is used in 9 September 1995/80C9NZCS.995/B5/ms 264742 which the distance from the hand 24 of the arm 21 to the butt end if the rod 15 is around 120 to 200mm longer than normal. The length of rod 15 from the hand 24 to the rod tip can be substantially less than the prior art arrangement and the reel 17 can be 5 located at a normal distance below the hand 24, ie in this case the reel position has moved further away from the butt of the rod. If the angler removes his hand and relies on a kidney harness as shown in figure 12 the pulling point is then further up the rod (away from the butt) than is the case of a kidney harness attached to a reel on a prior art gimbal belt.

Since the lever arm of the rod 15 from the hand 24 to the butt end is greater than normal, and the lever arm from the hand 24 to the rod tip is closer to the tip than is the case with prior art arrangements, a given tension in the line from the reel 17 will produce a substantially smaller tensile force in the arm 21.

This can make the playing of a fish more comfortable and less tiring. Alternatively, for a given acceptable tensile force in the arm 21, a larger fish can be handled by the stand-up fishing technique.

We prefer to position the pivot pin in the horizontal plane, however other manufacturers may prefer to position the point at other angles for example in the vertical plane. Our interpretation of the IGFA (International Game Fishing Association) rules and regulations would make a vertical pin illegal. 14 being transverse, partly because of International fishing regulations. However, in some 25 circumstances the pin 14 may be preferred to lie in a vertical fore-and-aft plane, if the regulations become changed in the future.

In Figure 12 an upper kidney belt 25 is shown around the angler 20 and attached by hooks 26 to the reel lugs.

Figure 13 shows the relative positions of the Vfishing triangles" ABC, ABD achieved with a prior art gimbal belt and the gimbal belt of figure 12. In the triangles, A B represents the line of force from the anglers shoulder to the hand 24, BC is the length of rod 15 between the hand 24 and the prior art pivot point C, and BD is the length of the 35 rod 15 from the hand 24 to the pivot point D of the present invention. The "fishing triangle" of the gimbal belt of figure 12 aligns the line AD between the lower pivot 9 September 199S/8063N2CS. 995/BS/ms 264 7 4 point and the angler's shoulder joint more in line with the angler's spine than is the case with a prior art gimbal belt which has the pivot point C higher and more forward than the gimbal of figure 12. In figure 12 the angler can move his hand further up the rod 5 towards the tip than is the case with the prior art arrangement, hence allowing the angler in figure 12 to increase his leverage compared with the prior art triangle shown in figure 13. For a heavy fish the angler may lean back much further than shown in figure 13.

Instead of the pivot point D being a transverse or other pin 14, the butt end of the rod 15 can simply bear against a wall at the bottom of the recess 11 or in a depression therein.

EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS The following table gives the results of experiments made with different anglers and shows the increase in line tension which could generate using the fishing rod support according to the invention, compared with a typical example of the prior art rod supports. In each case the line tension is measured as the maximum comfortable pull.

TABLE ANGLER HF.IfiHT mm ANOI.F.R WRIGHT Kg PRIOR ART INVENTION % increase Male 1900 115 26 70 Male 1750 96 14 23 60 Male 1763 80 12 18 50 Female 1750 67 14 19 36 Male 1625 56 11 16 46 ADVANTAGES Thus the advantages of using fishing rod supports according to the invention are readily apparent, and average a 50% increase in line pull to the fish. Furthermore the design of the preferred embodiment as shown in figure 12 allows the gimbal belt to be used with light tackle (ie rods without gimbal nocks as they can be positioned in and held in the n<r recess). 9 September 1995/8069NZCS.995/BS/ma

Claims (6)

I t 2647A2 -9- WE CLAIM:

1. A fishing rod support including a substantially rigid apron dimensioned and 5 adapted to traverse and bear upon the front of an angler's thighs, means to attach the apron to the angler, a pivot point on the apron to receive the butt end of the fishing rod, and a rearward projection of the apron adapted, in use, to project between the thighs of an angler. 10

2. A fishing rod support as claimed in claim 1 in which the projection comprises the rear face of a recess extending rearwardly from the front of the apron.

3. A fishing rod support as claimed in claim 2 in which the projection is shaped to conform to and fit against and between the front and inner faces of the thighs of 15 the angler.

4. A fishing rod support as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pivot point is located behind those faces of the apron which are to bear on the front of the angler's thighs, so that the pivot point will be positioned, in use, between and behind the 20 front of the thighs.

5. A fishing rod support as claimed in claim 4 in which the pivot point is located at the bottom of a recess extending rearwardly from the front of the apron. 25

6. 30 A fishing rod support as claimed in claim 5 in which the recess converges from the front of the apron towards the pivot point. A fishing rod support as claimed in claim 6 in which the recess converges downwardly towards the pivot point. A fishing rod support as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pivot point is positioned at or adjacent or in front of those faces of the apron which are to bear on the front of the angler's thighs, so that the pivot point will be positioned, in use, in front of the thighs. 35 9 Sepcember 11 1ZCS. 995/BS/m* 264742 - 10 5 10 10. 11. 15 12. 20 13. 14. 25 15. 30 16. A fishing rod support including a substantially rigid apron dimensioned and adapted to traverse and bear upon the front of an angler's thighs, means to attach the apron to the angler and a pivot point on the apron to receive the butt end of a fishing rod, the means to attach the apron including a belt to be worn by the angler and rapid attachment means of the apron to the belt, whereby the angle can wear the belt while fishing and quickly attach the apron thereto when a fish becomes hooked. A fishing rod support according to claim 9 in which the apron includes or is formed with a pair of hook means, each of which can be hooked into one of a pair of loops spaced apart on front of the belt. A fishing rod support according to claim 10 in which the hook means includes a pair of transverse arms extending in opposite directions, one at or adjacent each side of the apron. A fishing red support according to claim 11 in which the arms point outwardly. A fishing rod support according to claim 12 in which the arms point outwardly from the upper outer corners of the apron. A fishing rod support according to any preceding claim in which the pivot point comprises a bar or pin mounted on the apron, on which bar or pin a transverse groove or nock in the butt of the fishing rod can be fitted. A substantially rigid apron to be used in a fishing rod support according to any preceding claim. A fishing rod support constructed and arranged and adapted to operate substantially as described herein and as. shown in the accompanying drawings. Equaliser Tackle Limited by their attorneys 9 September 1995/8069NZCS.995/BS/ma JAMES W PIPER & CO